Adjustable door hanger



Feb. 15, 1966 w, c, BATES I 3,234,582

ADJUSTABLE DOOR HANGER Filed Aug. 19, 1963 United States Patent Ofiice3,234,582 Patented Feb. 15, 1966 3,234,582 ADJUSTABLE DOOR HANGER WayneC. Bates, Rockford, Ill., assiguor to National Lock Co., Rockford, 11].,a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 302,905 1 Claim.(Cl. 16105) The present invention relates to a novel adjustable doorhanger assembly for mounting and suspending a sliding door panel on asupporting track, including means for positively locking said hangerassembly to the door panel after accurate adjustment has been made.

In the assembly and mounting of a depending door panel whereby it isfree to slide along an overhead track, each panel is generally suspendedfrom two or more door hangers depending upon the size and weight of thesuspended panel, there being generally one adjacent each upper corner ofthe panel. As it is difiicult to mount and maintain a depending slidingdoor panel in a vertical plane below the horiozntally arranged trackwith its vertical edges accurately aligned or plumb with the side orvertical door jambs, the supporting or hanging brackets are providedwith some means for adjustably positioning the panel. However, in suchprior adjusting means there is no provision for positively locking andthereby assuring retention of the hanger and door under all conditionsof use.

The present invention comprehends a novel adjustable bracket for a doorhanger assembly in which the bracket when once adjusted to position thedoor panel in its accurately aligned vertical hanging position, ispositively locked and retained in such position.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel adjustabledoor hanger for mounting and maintaining a depending sliding door panelin its properly aligned poistion. Unlike prior hangers provided \m'thmeans for adjustment, the present novel hanger embodies locking meanseffective to positively and securely lock the door panel in accuratelyaligned position after suitable adjustment has been made.

In the present novel embodiment should the adjustment screw becomeloose, the door panel cannot sag for the hanger remains securely lockedthereto in its previously aligned relation.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity,efiiciency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such furtherobjects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear andare inherently possessed thereby.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an adjustable sliding door hanger forsupporting a sliding door panel upon an overhead track;

FIG. 2 is a view in end elevation of a pair of the adjustable slidingdoor hangers for slidably mounting adjacent door panels;

FIG. 3 is a view in front elevation of the novel adjustable sliding doorhanger;

FIG. 4 is a view in end elevation of the sliding door hanger; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view in vertical cross section through the rollerand its mounting for free rotation.

Referring more particularly to the detailed embodiment disclosed in thedrawing, FIGS. 1 and 2 disclose a sliding door installation comprisingan overhead track having spaced depending rails 11 and 12 each providedwith a trough or indented portion 13 receiving a roller 14 mounted forfree rotation on a rivet or axle 15 (FIG. 5.) This roller is preferablyof a plastic composition such as nylon and is rotatably mounted on theintermediate enlargement 16 on the rivet 15, the roller having anannular shoulder 17 abutting the head 18 of the rivet 15.

The other end 19 of the rivet 15 is reduced and projected through theupwardly projecting flange 20 on the upper end of a bracket 21 of thenovel sliding door hanger 22, and this end 19 is then upset at 23 toanchor the rivet in the flange 21.

The novel sliding door hanger 22 comprises the bracket 21 having pluralotfset portions 24, 25 and 26. The upper offset and angularly arrangedportion 24 includes the rearwardly offset flange 20 and spaced angularlyarranged or inclined portions 27 and 28 having a strengthening rib orembossment 29 therebetween. The intermediate oilset body portion 25 ofthe bracket is connected to the upper offset 24 by a horizontal portionor connecting ledge 31 closely conforming to and seating upon the topedge 32 of a sliding door panel 33. The lower depending oflset portion26 of the bracket is spaced outwardly from the door panel to provide athumb adjustment means for shifting the hanger about its pivot.

The body portion 25 of the bracket 23 is provided with a screw hole 34for receiving a pivot screw 35, an arcuate slot 36 for receiving anadjusting screw 37, and a screw hole 38 for receiving a locking screw39. The hole 34 is positioned at the center or axis of a circlecontaining the arcuate slot 36. This arrangement provides for positiveangular adjustment of the bracket 21 of the adjustable sliding doorhanger 22 about the pivot screw 35, and means or locking screw 39 forpositive locking and retaining the hanger in such adjusted position andaccurate vertical alignment of the door panel.

When the door panel is to be hung, it is placed beneath the track 10 andthe roller 14 of each hanger 22 in its track rail. The hanger is thenafiixed to the door panel 33 by inserting a pivot screw 35 in the hole34 and inserting an adjusting screw 37 into the arcuate slot 36. Withthe door panel depending from its track, its bracket 22 is then swung toits adjusted position and the screws 35 and 37 tightened. To preventfuture sagging of the door panel 33 when subjected to use and looseningof the adjusting screw 37, the locking screw 39 is inserted through thescrew hole 38 of the bracket 21 and tightened, thereby assuring futurepositive retention of the door panel 33 in its properly aligned verticalposition for sliding movement on the overhead track 10.

It is to be understood that one or more of these hangers may be employeddepending on the size and weight of the door panels to be supported forsliding movement.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

An adjustable door hanger for slidably mounting and suspending a doorpanel in a horizontal track, comprising a bracket mounted on the upperedge of the door panel having a plurality of vertically oflset portionsincluding an upper portion projecting above the upper edge of the doorpanel, inclined from a vertical plane and provided with an oflset endportion, an axle mounted on said offset end portion, a roller carried byand rotatably mounted on said axle and rotatable in the horizontaltrack, an intermediate flat body portion abutting and affixed to aninner vertical face of the door panel below the upper edge thereof andprovided with a flat generally horizontal ledge connecting theintermediate and upper portions and adjustable upon the upper edge ofthe door panel, and a lower depending and relatively narrow portionofiset away from said door panel to provide a thumb-actuated means forpivotally adjusting the bracket when assembled on the door panel, saidintermediate body portion having a first opening adjacent one edge ofthe portion for receiving a screw pivotally mounting said bracket on thedoor panel directly above said lower depending portion, an arcuate slotgenerally horizontally spaced from said first opening receiving anadjusting screw whereby the bracket 3 4 is mounted for pivotal movementabout the pivot screw, 1,070,243 8/1913 Frantz 16105 said first openingbeing positioned at the axis for said 2,627,633 2/1953 Shectman 16-105arcuate slot, and a second opening generally vertically 3,011,20912/1961 Majeske 16105 spaced from the first mentioned opening andarcuate slot 3,022,537 2/ 1962 Blackrner 16-105 receiving a screw forlocking the adjusted bracket against 5 3,159,866 12/ 1964 Kellems 16105further adjustment. FOREIGN PATENTS 232,820 2/1961 Australia.

R f Ct db 111 E e y e Xammer 466,175 10/1928 Germany.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 04 9 1907 n 2 19 10 JOSEPH D. SEERS, PrimaryExaminer.

899,051 9/ 1908 Hunt 161 5 DONLEY J. STOCKING, Examiner.

